When L’Oréal Paris announced blue lipsticks and the ‘dead lips’ look were about to arrive in France at their usual new product presentation for the first semester 2017, we all thought a real trend was emerging.
Indeed, there had already been a few sporadic launches after summer.
Dior had made the first move with their new Rouge Dior lipstick with a matte finish (€35.50), available in three shades of blue: 380 Cloudy Matte (blue-mauve), 602 Visionary Matte (dark blue), and 207 Montaigne Matte (grey-blue).
Make Up For Ever also released three blue shades (turquoise, peacock blue, and dark blue) for their Artist Lipstick with an ultra-pigmented, opaque formula (€23).

There are also ‘deceptive’ blue shades like that of Lipstick Queen (Hello Sailor Lipstick, €23, on Sephora’s website), which looks dark blue in its case, but transforms into a transparent, subtle plum colour with sapphire shades on the lips. ‘The pure blue pigment incorporated to an ultra-moisturizing formula based on vitamin E makes teeth look whiter and brightens the complexion,’ the brand promises. This lipstick, a nod to the sailing world, can be worn alone as a nourishing balm, or with other lipsticks. Multifunctional, it suits all complexions, and its shade adapts when it is in contact with the lips, to sublimate them with a different reflection according to the wearer.

Ultimately, as is often the case, the most spectacular shades of blue were created by M.A.C Cosmetics. Their new Liptensity collection boasts a rare colour intensity (it contains twice more pigments than in a traditional red lipstick), and is available in Blue Beat (a dark, almost black blue, €22).
The Bangin’Brilliant Lipstick (€19) was developed in matte turquoise (Dreampot Mat), dark blue with a frosted finish (Designer Blue), or satin-like lavender blue (Dew).

Breaking the codes

‘Makeup must reinvent itself, as digital technologies compel brands to always go one step further and create surprise. Today, for the young generation (people aged 16-21), the vision in the mirror does not matter much, as the real test is the selfie. Am I going to post this picture? How many likes am I going to get? Hence this more extreme research in makeup, with ever more astonishing and visible colours,’ L’Oréal Paris reveals – and they never lag behind in terms of trends. Makeup is a frantic race for innovation. It must be (a little) provocative and disturbing. In September 2017, the flagship brand of the world’s first cosmetics group will launch its Vampies range (contraction of ‘vamp’ and ‘vampire’), which reinvents the gothic style with two blue shades of lipsticks, dark blue and peacock blue. And the prerequisite for dark shades to actually suit wearers is for them to be radiant. We cannot but hail the risk taken and the boldness of the brands that dared launch such products in supermarkets…

Ariane Le Febvre